Late Galway salvo claims inaugural Kate Moran Cup  

Galway's Cara Giblin and Ciara Mullins lift the Kate Moran Cup. Pic: ©INPHO/Grace Halton

Eir All-Ireland U-16 final: Galway 2-11 Kilkenny 1-9 

It was Galway who showed that they learned most from last week’s drawn encounter in the Eir All-Ireland U-16 final as they came out with a much-improved defensive display in Birr, retaining their title and putting their name on the brand new Kate Moran Cup after they outscored Kilkenny by 1-4 to 0-1 in the final dozen minutes of action.

A superb goal from Player of the Match Orna Dunne kicked off Galway’s late surge with a goal and she made hay after being switched into the full-forward line late on, but the majority of heroes for the Tribeswomen were further back down the pitch, with Ciara Doyle, Aoife Lawlor and Sarah Maher all particularly impressive.

In general, replays tend to offer teams the opportunity to learn how to shut down the main attacking threats of the opposition and that was how it played out here, with Galway doing a wonderful job of neutralising Kate Dalton and Dearbhla Ryan.

Such was Kilkenny’s faith in their dynamic duo up top that they operated with a sweeper throughout this game in the shape of Amy Walsh. With the wind at their backs in the opening half, the Black and Ambers needed a half-time lead and they got out to a great start when Rachael Duff drove through from the left wing and fired the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Duff exploded out of the traps with 1-2 in the early exchanges but the extra defender allowed Galway to keep scoring rates low, and they got a boost of their own when Grace Roche worked hard to win a ball between two defenders and get her shot away, a shot that dipped just under the crossbar for a goal.

It was just 1-5 to 1-4 to the Cats approaching half-time, when four points were shared in quick succession. Dunne and Elizabeth Sida picked off the best of the scores with points that were equal-part endeavour and skill, but with a strong breeze blowing down towards the southern end of St Brendan’s Park, it was Galway who looked like they were the side in the best position at the turnaround.

Kilkenny were at their best in the third quarter when they suffocated the Galway attack, with no score conceded for the first nine minutes of the second half. Katie Brogan broke that deadlock when she floated the ball over from 60 metres out, using the wind brilliantly.

Galway's joint captains Cara Giblin, Ciara Doyle and Ciara Mullins celebrate with the Kate Moran Cup. Pic ©INPHO/Grace Halton

It didn’t change much as there was just one more score added – a Ruby Norris point – until the 49th minute, when Dunne effectively swung the game Galway’s direction with one perfect swipe of her hurl.

Robyn Corcoran was the favourite to collect Eva Harkin’s dropping delivery but when the ball wasn’t won the first time, Dunne somehow picked up possession in between two defenders and on the turn, whipped the ball inside the near post. Within a couple of minutes, she added a point of her own and then set up another for Harkin, giving Galway real breathing room with a four-point lead.

Rachel Murphy, Norris and Sida all had some big plays in the closing minutes, but they were always battling against a packed defence and would accumulate six second half wides, in no small part because of the pressure Galway exerted.

There were goal chances late on but they fell to Galway, the best of them a Maeve Cronin strike that drew an incredible reflex save from Heidi Culleton.

The goalkeeper’s efforts were to be in vain however as Galway mopped up a series of hit-and-hope deliveries into their penalty area, securing a victory that will be particularly emotional given the new trophy, honouring former Athenry and Galway player Kate Moran.

In the first game in this afternoon’s double header, the U23A semi-final between the same counties, it was a similar story for long stretches. Claire Doheny hammered the ball into the net from a tight angle for a first half goal for Kilkenny but Aoibheann Barry’s frees and powerful play from Katie Anna Porter and Ciara Hickey in the half-back line put Galway in the driving seat at half-time, 0-11 to 1-6 up with the wind advantage to come.

They struggled to shake off Kilkenny, despite the Cats relying very heavily on Ellen Gunner’s freetaking and it was only when Barry struck the ninth of her ten points that there was more than a score between the sides, 0-17 to 1-10 with ten minutes remaining.

Here, however, Kilkenny were able to pull it out of the fire. They hung in the game and then on their last attack, Doheny fielded Lauren Ronan’s high delivery and rifled the ball through three defenders and into the top corner to secure a 2-14 to 0-18 win, knocking out last year’s All-Ireland champions and powering her side through to a final against the winners of tomorrow’s clash between Cork and Tipperary.

Scorers for Galway: O Dunne 1-3; C Giblin 0-4(2fs, 1 45); G Roche 1-1; K Brogan, E Harkin, M Cronin 0-1 each 

Scorers for Kilkenny: R Duff 1-2; R Norris 0-3; D Ryan 0-2(1f); E Sida, L Ahern(f) 0-1 each 

GALWAY: C Doyle, K Melville, A Hughes, A Lawlor, K Hynes, S Maher, N Coen, M Nevin, K Brogan, C Giblin, D Griffin, O Dunne, E Harkin, M Cronin, G Roche. 

Subs: K Burke for Brogan (22-25), C Mullins for Griffin (52), K Burke for Harkin (57) 

KILKENNY: H Culleton, S Cash, R Corcoran, C Joyce, I Carroll, R Murphy, H Drennan, R Norris, E Sida, R Mullins, R Smith, R Duff, K Dalton, A Walsh, D Ryan. 

Subs: L Ahern for Ryan (42), S McCabe for Mullins (45), M Kenny for Walsh (52), K Mulcahy for Duff (60) 

Referee: Aaron Hogg (Clare)